Jigsaw puzzle with rotatable pieces



llllllllllllll f r n I rillllla INVENTOR Dec. 24, 1968 A. T. JANlszx-:wsKl

JIGSAW PUZZLE WITH ROTATABLE PIECES Filed Feb. 23, 1966 United States Patent O" 3,417,996 JIGSAW PUZZLE WITH ROTATABLE PIECES Anthony T. Janiszewski,'Elmwood Park, Ill., assignor tu Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, lll., a partnership Filed Feb. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 529,321 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-157) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A jigsaw puzzle with a backing board including one or more wells or recesses each containing a rotatable member having its upper surface ush with the face of the backing board, manually operable means extending outwardly from one edge of the board which is eifective to provide rotation of t-he rotatable members, and a plurality of jigsaw pieces adapted to be positioned on said board and including pieces overlying the rotatable members and connected therewith for rotation in response to operation of the manually operable means.

This invention relates to a game in the form of a jigsaw puzzle, with means for rotating picture pieces after the jigsaw puzzle has been assembled. This movement gives the effect of animation. The invention is particu- `larly suitable for jigsaw puzzles designed for assembly by children; i.e. puzzles with only a few, large picture pieces. The rotation of certain pieces 'adds substantially to the attractiveness of the puzzle and the entertainment provided thereby.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel arrangement of rotating members underlying the plane of the assembled picture pieces, which members are connected to certain of the picture pieces to impart rotary movement to these pieces.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the jigsaw puzzle game board and associated parts;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged top plan view, with portions cut away showing the face of the game board and four underlying rotating members, each of which is to be connected to a picture piece;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative means of connecting the picture piece to the underlying rotating member.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the jigsaw puzzle is of an outdoor scene with four caricatures of sheep or similar animals depicted. This picture is obviously only illustrative. The invention is applicable to any number of different jigsaw puzzle pictures.

The jigsaw picture is adapted to be mounted on a solid backing board 10. The yboard preferably has a raised border strip 12 around each side to contain the puzzle picture pieces.

Within the raised border strip 12, there are located on the face of the backing board one or more wells or hollowed-out places 14. Each of these Wells is sufficiently deep to receive a iiat rotatable member shown in the drawing in the form of gears 16a, 16b, 16C and 16d. In the center of each Well is an upwardly extending pin 17 on which gears 16 are rotatably mounted by means of depending rings 19 on the under side of each gear. Extending upwardly from the center of each gear is a square stub shaft 18.

The upper surface of each gear 16 is substantially iiush with the face of the backing board 10. The picture pieces, when assembled on the face of the board as a 3,417,996 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 ICC conventional jigsaw puzzle, present a picture such as is indicated at 20 in FIGURES 1 and 2. Those picture pieces designed to be placed directly above the stub shaft 18 are to be rotated, and each of these pieces has a square hole so placed that stub shaft 18 extends through the hole. The picture piece is thus keyed to the rotating gear 16.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, all four pieces above the rotating gears 16 are designed to be rotated. If a picture is designed in which the number of pieces to be rotated is less than the number of underlying rotating mem-bers, the alternative structure shown in FIGURE 4 may be used. In this structure, the gear 16e has `a downwardly extending pin 21 at its center which is adapted to rotate in the cup formed by ring 23 in the base of the backing board. In the upper end of pin 2,1 is a square cavity which is adapted to receive a square stub shaft 25 depending from picture piece 27. This connection keys the picture piece to the gear 16e.

Where the picture is designed for non-rotation of a piece directly above the rotating member, the depending shaft 25 is eliminated from that picture piece. This piece will then be locked in place by the adjoining pieces and will not rotate with the underlying gear.

The rotating members may be driven in any manner or sequence. In the embodiment shown, the four gears 16a, 16b, 16C and 16d (see FIGURE 2) are positioned so that the upper two (16a and 16b) intermesh and the lower two (16C and 16d) also intermesh. A manual driving means is provided by a iifth gear 22 which is positioned adjacent one edge of the backing board in a cavity between the face of the board and the back of the board. Gear 22 is positioned with its teeth 24 protruding through a slot 26 in the edge of the board, so that the gear may be rotated in either direction by manually moving the exposed teeth 24. Gear 22 has an upwardly extending ring 29 at its center designed to rotate on pin 31 depending from the face of the backing board. Gear 22 meshes with the two adjacent gears 16b and 16d (see FIGURE 2), and rotation of gear 22 around pin 31 will cause gears 16a, 16b, 16e and 16d to rotate.

A speciic form of the invention has been described, and it is to be understood that the invention may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A jigsaw puzzle game comprising (1) a backing board with at least one well in the face thereof,

(2) a rotatable member adapted to -be positioned in each such well with the upper surface of the rotatable member substantially flush with the face of the backing board,

(3) means for rotating said rotatable member, which means is positioned between the face and the back of said board and extending outwardly from one edge of said board so that it may be actuated manually,

(4) jigsaw picture pieces adapted to be placed in position on said board and at least partially overlying said rotatable member, and

(5) means connecting at least one of said picture pieces to said rotatable member, whereby such piece is caused to rotate with the underlying rotatable member.

2. A jigsaw puzzle yas set forth in claim 1, comprising a plurality of said rotatable members, each in the form of gears with at least two of said gears arranged in meshing relation whereby rotation of one of said gears produces rotation of the other of said gears.

3. A jigsaw puzzle asset forth in claim 1, wherein each of said rotatable members includes an upwardly extending non-circular post and each of said one of said puzzle pieces includes a complementary non-circular opening adapted to receive said post.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 911,461 2/ 1909 Trout 273--153 3,193,293 7/ 1965 Schaper 273-153 X FOREIGN PATENTS 180,126 5/ 1922 Great Britain. 862,447 3/ 1961 Great Britain.

636,109 10/1899 Bowers 273-155 1,229,530 6/1917 Brown 273-157 US C1 X R 2,585,419 2/1952 zarlengo 273-157 1n 46 37 

